Castle Country Radio / AM 750 Drive Time Sports
A weekend road trip ended with a two-game split for the USU Eastern Lady Eagles at the Salt Lake Community College Thanksgiving Tournament Friday and Saturday.
The weekend tournament started with a familiar opponent as USU Eastern squared off with Western Nebraska Community College for the second time this season. Despite a fast start, the Lady Eagles were unable to keep pace in the second half, falling 78-67.
Jumping out to an early double-digit advantage, Eastern held a 17-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. Western Nebraska methodically chipped away at the deficit, winning the next three quarters, and ending the game on a 28-15 run.
Brynn Wagner and Addisyn Johnson paced the Lady Eagles, scoring a team-high 10 points in a balanced offensive effort. McKenzie Allen contributed nine points, and Addasyn Scrivner and Avery Sanders scored eight in the setback.
The fourth quarter proved to be the difference in a game that featured five lead changes. USU Eastern struggled to convert on the offensive side of the floor, finishing just 4-13 from the field over the final 10 minutes. Western Nebraska caught fire as the team combined to shoot 10-12, including 4-5 from the three-point line in the final stanza.
USU Eastern responded to Friday’s loss by recording their largest win of the season, defeating Dawson Community College 105-51 Saturday afternoon.
Ellie Esplin was an unstoppable force as she scored a game-high 27 points on an efficient 10-14 shooting to go along with five assists. Allen flirted with a triple-double as she scored 16 points, handed out eight assists, and logged six steals in the win. Marlee Pieper and Madison Anderson scored 15 points, while Scrivner ended with 11.
The Lady Eagles never trailed in the dominating win. Defensively, the team recorded 17 steals and forced 25 turnovers. The defense created the bulk of the offense, scoring 43 points off turnovers.
The two-game split moves USU Eastern’s record to 7-4 overall in the young season. The team will have a lengthy break before returning to the court on Monday, Dec. 16 with a three-game road swing in Las Vegas for the College of Southern Nevada Tournament.